


Cherry Soda Days

by eggsootart



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-18
Updated: 2018-01-18
Packaged: 2019-03-06 07:00:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13405911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eggsootart/pseuds/eggsootart
Summary: Baekhyun is five when Yixing comes into his life, twelve when he leaves it, and twenty-one when he enters it again.





	Cherry Soda Days

**Author's Note:**

> Some baekxing fluff~ I needed happiness in my life and to let out some of my love for them.

Baekhyun was five when he saw Yixing for the first time, and at that age he wouldn’t say it was anything groundbreaking, or even something he thought he’d remember well.

He was sitting at his desk in his kindergarten classroom, chattering away with his friends when the teacher suddenly called attention. Baekhyun was always the last one to get the memo; he would still be talking loudly while the other children got quiet, while the teacher would wait and patiently tap her foot until he finally realized his voice seemed to be projecting extra loudly.

And when he turned sheepishly to settle in his chair after the kids laughed goodnaturedly at him, he was barely paying attention as his teacher made an announcement that there was a new addition to their classroom coming in today.

He still was still a bit zoned out when a shy looking kid walked in, clutching onto the straps of his backpack and looking scared out of his wits. What got him to finally focus on what was going on in the room was when one of his classmates whispered to him, “he has a weird name.”

Looking up to see what that was about, he tilted his head to see the word “Yixing” written neatly on the whiteboard. It really was a strange name, he hadn’t really met anyone with something like it, before.

The boy himself looked only more and more nervous by the second, and Baekhyun thought he could start crying any moment. Instead he cleared his throat, finally letting go of one of his backpack straps to point at the word he just wrote.

“My name is Yixing,” he introduced himself in a mousey little voice, seeming to struggle with stringing together his sentences. “My dad got a new job, and...I’m, um...from China.”

“What did he say?” Baekhyun said loudly, _too_ loudly. He had only meant to ask his friend sitting next to him, but the whole classroom heard it and began to laugh. Yixing’s face noticeably flushed, and the kids began to agree and chime in on how they couldn’t understand him well.

“C-China,” he stuttered, but it was too late; the kids were beginning to pester him on what it was like being from another country, how much Korean he knew, how long he was going to stay before he went back, until the teacher hushed everyone up.

Eventually Yixing went to take a seat when everyone calmed down, looking shier than ever and just a touch embarrassed, shuffling to the back of the room with his eyes downcast. As he passed by Baekhyun’s row, however, the two seemed to share a brief second of eye contact, taking both by surprise before they mutually averted their gaze.

To make it worse Yixing tripped a little on a chair leg, stumbling before catching his balance and making the kids erupt yet again. Even Baekhyun couldn’t suppress the giggle that slipped out of his mouth, and Yixing heaved a tiny sigh when he finally sat down.

Baekhyun felt a little bad. He hadn’t meant to get the class to tease Yixing about his accent, he legitimately just wanted to clarify what the boy had said in his introduction. But soon their morning lessons began, and he forgot about what had happened.

It was only towards the end of the day where he took notice of Yixing again. The teacher had been explaining a writing lesson, and as Baekhyun filled out the worksheet she handed out he naturally grew antsy, wanting to talk or move around.

Letting his mind wander off to anywhere but his classwork, he glanced to the front of the room and saw how his teacher seemed to take notice of something. She made her way to the back of the classroom, and curious as ever, Baekhyun turned his head to see her crouching by Yixing’s seat.

“Are you having trouble?” she asked softly, but because it was quiet time the rest of the class was more or less able to hear. “Is it too difficult?”

“I...um…” Yixing faltered, not knowing what words to use, how to ask what he needed to ask. Baekhyun could only wonder if Yixing was able to understand any of the lessons, at all. “I...don’t know…”

Clearly frustrated and at a loss, the poor boy looked around helplessly as if to find something to assist him. That’s when he met eyes with Baekhyun again, who had been staring, listening in on his plight.

“Go on, Yixing,” Baekhyun decided to pipe up, not really understanding that it wasn’t that Yixing was too shy to ask, but that he didn’t know how. “Why can’t you say somethin’?”

The rest of the class was staring now, and Yixing seemed to clam up even more when he was once again the center of attention.

“Why isn’t Yixing talking?”

“Why’s Yixing being weird?”

“Is it because he only knows Chinese?”

Questions rang out towards him, and Baekhyun was actively trying to egg Yixing on. But his voice began to peter out when he suddenly realized that Yixing’s eyes were growing glassy, his lip trembling.

“I-I’m sorry,” Yixing blubbered, and before the kids knew it tears were falling down on his cheeks. He desperately wiped at his eyes, finally broken down from the nervousness and from being so overwhelmed. “I’m sorry.”

It must have been one of the only things he knew how to say well: ‘I’m sorry’. Baekhyun immediately shut his mouth, yet again feeling guilty for indirectly pressuring Yixing and even making him cry.

The teacher comforted him, and eventually the class was back at peace and quiet with the exception of Yixing’s occasional hiccup and sniffling. Baekhyun felt queasy for the rest of the school day, and even if he thought to apologize to Yixing, it would have been impossible with the way the boy bolted to his mother to go home once the bell rang.

 

That was the first day; the second day, Baekhyun kept his mouth shut about Yixing. The other children still continued to question his speech and his accent, but at least Baekhyun knew he wouldn’t be the one to start it. Same with the third day, the fourth day, and a good number of days after that. The most he did was glance at Yixing from afar to see other children trying to interact with him, but often to no avail.

It was one day at lunchtime a little over a week later when Baekhyun saw Yixing, from across the blacktop, sitting by the basketball court and eating alone. A couple kids went to ask him something, probably a question about himself or maybe an attempt to start some conversation, but Yixing remained withdrawn. Baekhyun could see him mumble something in response to whatever they asked before they left him on his own again.

“Do you think Yixing doesn’t like anyone?” Baekhyun asked, tossing the baseball, his prized possession that his father had sent him from the States, to Kyungsoo.

“I don’t think that’s it,” Kyungsoo replied, shaking his head after he caught it. He tossed it back. “Don’t you remember, Teacher said that he doesn’t speak Korean well. He’s probably scared to be here.”

“Oh.” Baekhyun supposed that he hadn’t tried to see things from Yixing’s perspective. “So it’s like if one of us had to go to China and be in a new class over there, right now.”

“Yes.” Baekhyun thought about it for a bit as he and his friends continued to play catch, before he suddenly broke from the little circle they had formed.

“Wait a minute! I’ll be back!”

He had run off with the baseball, making his friends whine a little but he ignored it. He scurried over to where Yixing was sitting, cradling his knees.

“Hey,” he announced loudly, making Yixing snap out of what seemed to be a midday daze and look up at Baekhyun, startled. “Do you want to play with us?”

Yixing blinked a few times, and Baekhyun tried again. “Do—you—want—to—play—with—us?”

He pointed at Yixing, then at himself, and then at his friends in the distance in a timely manner with his proposition, and Yixing opened his mouth at last.

“Do I want…?” he tried to repeat, and Baekhyun nodded vigorously.

“ _PLAY_ ,” he enunciated, holding up his baseball and tossing it hand to hand. He pointed at the ball, then at himself. “ _PL_ _AY. WITH. ME!”_

Yixing looked a bit shaken at the fact Baekhyun was yelling at him, but seemed to understand the point and stood up.

“Play,” Yixing followed along, nodding as he put two and two together. “Y-yeah.”

Baekhyun smiled and made a come hither motion, when suddenly he saw something he hadn’t seen, before. Yixing smiled; he was smiling wide, his eyes turning into little crescents and, most notably, his cheek scrunching to form a big dimple. It intrigued Baekhyun, and he instinctively stuck a finger out to poke it.

“You never smiled before,” Baekhyun commented, making Yixing tilt his head. He gestured with his index fingers across his lips, smiling as wide as he could and showing as many teeth possible to get his message across. “Smile! Ee—!”

“Ah,” Yixing said understandingly, which prompted him to smile again. He even giggled at the silly expression stretched onto Baekhyun’s face. “I’ll smile. More.”

At that point Baekhyun nodded, before bringing Yixing back to where his friends were and resuming their little game. Yixing couldn’t talk that much, but it was just catch. Finally being able to participate with the other kids must have done wonders for his mood, because by the end of lunch period he was beaming.

“Thank you,” Yixing had said to Baekhyun as they began walking back to class, sounding genuinely grateful. “That was good.”

“Fun,” Baekhyun corrected, thinking that he could teach Yixing another new thing to say. “That was fun.”

Yixing must have learned that word before and was now reminded of it, because he seemed to have an epiphany as he nodded much more eagerly this time. “Yes! Fun, that’s it.”

They slipped back into their chairs for class, and Baekhyun felt good knowing that he had done something nice for the new kid. He felt like a hero, a superhero that was a regular do-gooder, and the sensation made him feel quite satisfied.

 

He started approaching Yixing regularly after that, and he learned a few things. Yixing was great at math, it was a subject that the new student did without much difficulty. He knew how to add and subtract big numbers—numbers that were in the double digits that made Baekhyun’s head hurt—without having to count on his fingers.

“So math is the same in China?” Baekhyun asked in awe when Yixing had finished a worksheet early and had been waiting outside for Baekhyun. The silly question made the other boy giggle.

“Yes, it’s the same,” he replied. “Just numbers.”

He was also a really good artist, but that was something Baekhyun more readily understood to not have a language barrier. As they became better friends, many times Baekhyun would scoot his chair over to sit with Yixing during drawing time, stealing peeks at the other boy’s paper to “borrow” ideas.

Yixing never minded anyway, opting to smile when he and Baekhyun ended up turning in strikingly similar drawings that earned Baekhyun a scolding from their teacher.

During one assignment where they were supposed to draw what they wanted to do when they grew up, Baekhyun proudly drew a messy but nonetheless bold illustration of a rocket ship with him inside of it.

“What’s that?” Yixing asked, pointing at the little label his friend wrote down on the drawing.

“ _Astronaut_.” Baekhyun read the word aloud. “You know, space men!”

“I see,” Yixing replied, grateful for another new addition to his Korean vocabulary. Baekhyun looked over at Yixing’s drawing in turn, tilting his head.

It looked like it was of Yixing, and another figure inside of a house. Yixing had scribbled in lots of color and big smiles for both people, and Baekhyun looked closer to see that his name was on it.

“Is that me?” he said curiously.

“Yes,” Yixing giggled. “See?” He pointed at the fluffy brown hair he had given to the Baekhyun in his drawing.

“You just want to play with me when you grow up?” Baekhyun asked. Yixing nodded. “I think you used the wrong word, there.”

“Hm?” Yixing looked and saw Baekhyun pointing at the little sentence he had written to explain his drawing. He scratched his head with his crayon. “I thought that was right… I’ll just write it in Chinese.”

He scribbled out the word Baekhyun had been pointing at, above it writing in two complex looking characters that Baekhyun obviously couldn’t understand.

 

Another thing Baekhyun learned is that during the small period of time Yixing would be gone from the classroom, he was at a language assistance session where he could work on his Korean. Because of this and also with the probable fact that he was working on the language at home with his parents, he was slowly improving. In the beginning Yixing clearly struggled to put together even simple sentences, but as weeks passed his speaking abilities had clearly expanded.

Still, Baekhyun offered to teach Yixing anything he could, and Yixing agreed, wanting to learn as much of the language and as fast as possible. So sometimes during their recesses Baekhyun would teach him what he thought were the essentials with just some one-on-one time and some crude drawings; he was proud to say that because of him, Yixing knew how to say _dinosaur_ , _watermelon_ , _bandana_ , _cowboy,_ and many other very important words.

He was protective of Yixing, and felt a sense of responsibility towards him, but also genuinely enjoyed Yixing's company as well. Yixing listened to him, talked to him, laughed with him; despite Yixing and his parents always thanking Baekhyun for playing with him, Baekhyun never felt like it was something he should be thanked for, or something that must matter more to Yixing than it did to him.

 

“Baekhyun,” Yixing suddenly said one day as they ate their lunch boxes and sat on the grass. He smiled shyly, before clearing his throat like he was about to recite a speech he had prepared. “Thank you, for being my friend. We’re friends, right?”

Baekhyun didn’t even blink, casually blowing through the food his mom packed him like Yixing had said something completely mundane.

“You have to stop thanking me. But of course, Yixing,” he replied in a matter-of-fact way. He then grinned, smacking Yixing lightly on the back. “You’re hilarious, asking that!”

“Hilarious,” Yixing said quizzically, a sign for Baekhyun to define the word.

“Funny,” Baekhyun explained.

“Ah,” Yixing nodded like usual. He smiled, his dimple deepening which Baekhyun often considered an invitation for him to just reach in and poke his friend’s cheek. The two giggled at each other. “ _You’re_ hilarious.”

“No, you!” Baekhyun chimed back, tugging the strap of Yixing’s overalls playfully. The innocent little banter went on for a bit, before Yixing began to say something.

“The first thing my mom taught me to say is this,” he announced, pointing at Baekhyun. “I love you.”

“Very good,” Baekhyun praised, not realizing Yixing was sort of directing the sentiment of the phrase towards him. He instead thought Yixing was just affirming something he had learned, or practicing his pronunciation.

“Good?” Yixing giggled, and Baekhyun nodded enthusiastically as ever.

“You say it well, Xing. Perfect, even.”

* * *

 

Baekhyun and Yixing would then remain friends for the remainder of elementary school and much of middle school. They had grown quite close; being together throughout school days, often visiting each other’s houses for playdates outside of school, joining a baseball team together, all of the serious stuff for children their age.

Yixing’s Korean had improved leaps and bounds since that first day that he had shakenly introduced himself in kindergarten, a lot of that could be attributed to lots of time sitting with Baekhyun, who helped him expand his vocabulary over bottles of cherry soda and leisurely games of catch. Yixing’s parents, as always, were over the moon that he had a friend who could tutor him so well, while Baekhyun’s parents always told him that Yixing’s politeness was an example he should follow.

But there were still flaws apparent in Yixing’s accent that wouldn’t go away completely for a while, if they ever did. He often got teased for it; mostly by friends who would playfully make fun of him for mispronouncing a word or two, but once in a while by other kids with more malicious intent.

However, Baekhyun, known to be the sharp, loudmouthed kid who was ready to pounce if anyone bothered his friends, was always there to shout and sling sand at whoever gave Yixing a hard time. It earned him a few timeouts and detentions here and there, and loads of apologizing by Yixing, but in his mind it was necessary.

  
“Go back to China, weirdo!” some older kids shouted at Yixing and Baekhyun as they passed by on the field. “I couldn’t understand a word of what you said, up there!”

The teasing was probably because of the fact that Yixing had participated in a schoolwide speech competition, and had presented a speech about his experiences moving to a new country in the auditorium earlier in the day. And had won.

Baekhyun had immediately stopped walking and turned around, eliciting Yixing to grab onto his arm and whisper “no, Baekhyun…”

But Baekhyun was already taking off the cheap plastic participation medal he had gotten for also taking part in said contest, before lobbing it as hard as he could at one of the eighth grader’s heads. It was a perfect hit, and when the kids turned around with angry expressions, Baekhyun fearlessy cupped his hands around his mouth.

“If you guys mumble to each other with those stupid voices of yours, I don’t get how even idiots like you can’t understand Yixing!” he shouted back defensively.

One of the older kids came towards the pair, and Baekhyun stood in front of Yixing with a cross expression on his face. He valiantly took the shove that he had coming to him for talking back, Yixing scrambling to break his fall and his baseball dropping to the ground.

The tormentor picked up the ball that was old and beat up, smirking.

“You want this back?” he asked, and when Baekhyun just remained silent he threw the baseball over the back fence, letting it disappear from sight. Yixing gasped, and Baekhyun stared with darkened eyes as the kids walked away, even stomping on his participation medal and breaking it.

“Baekhyun, your medal,” Yixing cried, picking up the pathetic excuse for a prize. He handed it to Baekhyun, who just shrugged and tossed it in the trash can. Yixing didn’t even see that, he was too busy running over to the chain link fence and trying to spot the lost baseball. But it had receded far into the shrubbery beyond. “And the baseball from your dad…”

It indeed was the baseball Baekhyun had received from his father all those years ago, a custom one that had Baekhyun’s name embroidered in it for his birthday. Baekhyun would be lying if he said it didn’t matter to him that he had lost it, but if it was for Yixing, it was a white lie he’d gladly tell.

“It’s okay, Xing,” he said brightly, dusting off his knees. “That baseball was all old anyway.”

“But it’s so important to you,” Yixing began to tear up, when Baekhyun patted his cheeks reassuringly.

“Well, maybe he can send me another one. And it’s my fault for always bringing and using it, I was bound to lose it at some point,” Baekhyun said dismissively. He pouted, ruffling his hair frustratedly. “If I was gonna lose it, I should have thrown it at them, too!”

Yixing wasn’t comforted, beginning to sniffle as he wiped his eyes. Baekhyun sighed, wondering how he could salvage his friend’s mood.

“Xing, you’re _eleven_ ! You can’t cry at school, you’re not a baby anymore!” he joked, and Yixing just hiccuped. Before Yixing could thank Baekhyun or apologize, the bell rang and it was time to go back to class. The two were in separate homerooms, so Baekhyun could only give Yixing a few reassuring pats on the back before he had to go to class.

At the end of the day, Baekhyun waited in front of the school for Yixing like he always did so they could walk home, but his friend didn’t come for a while. Growing confused, he took a walk to see if Yixing was still in his homeroom class, but it was empty.

“Yixing,” he called as he walked through the halls and outer areas of the school. Not in the cafeteria, or the auditorium, or any of the bathrooms he checked. He continued to search, poking his head everywhere and making heads turn as he loudly called his friend’s name.

“I saw Yixing by the field,” Joohyun said when Baekhyun went about asking anyone he knew where Yixing was. “Did you already lose your speech medal?”

“That wasn’t a medal,” Baekhyun scoffed. But a bit puzzled as to Yixing’s last known whereabouts, he then realized something.

He ran up to the edge of the fence in the back of the field where there was a tiny gap that he could squeeze through, fearlessly heading into the thicket that was probably off limits for the students.

“Yixing!” he screamed as he walked around, and sure enough he eventually saw a figure off in the distance. “Yixing?”

“Baek?” the person called back, and as Baekhyun approached he could see that it was indeed Yixing. He was on his knees, reaching for something in a small ravine. “Baek!”

“What are you doing here!” Baekhyun shouted out, until he saw what Yixing was reaching for; the baseball floating in the pond.

Yixing managed to grab it, standing back up with the biggest grin on his face.

“Baek, I found it!” he said happily, running up to his friend and returning his lost possession. Baekhyun stared down at what Yixing had retrieved for him, eyes wide. “Your ball!”

“Yixing, why’re you sneaking out here for this, dummy!” Baekhyun laughed, nonetheless clutching onto the ball that he was internally rejoicing over. He tapped on Yixing’s medal, which was actually made of metal in contrast to Baekhyun’s participation award. “You can go this far if I lost something like this.”

“It’s even more important than this,” Yixing pouted, making Baekhyun actually be serious for once. “I wanted to make you happy.”

“You did,” Baekhyun replied, looking down at the ball that was even dirtier now, soaked in pond water. “Thank you. But Xing, you didn’t have to do that.”

“I did!” Yixing protested, stamping his foot. “There’s no point in you protecting me if you get hurt too.”

“I wasn’t hurt.”

“In here, you were,” Yixing pointed at Baekhyun’s chest, making the other boy laugh. “You know, in feelings.”

“ _Emotionally_ ,” Baekhyun corrected him. “I was hurt  _e_ _motionally_.”

“See, you admit it.”

“Wait—am not!”

The two boys broke out into laughter, with Baekhyun finally sighing and tugging Yixing by the arm. He gave his best friend a tight hug, separating with a bright smile on his face that Yixing was returning. 

“Let’s go home, Xing. Our moms are going to wonder where we are.”

 

Although there were admittedly a couple rough days like this, Baekhyun’s wit and brashness were often enough to prevent anything too harsh from reaching Yixing’s ears. If they did, Yixing was never feeling too bad about it; he had grown to have good companions around him the past several years, in addition to his best friend.

There was one week, though, in the seventh grade when even someone as thick-skulled as Baekhyun noticed that Yixing was being abnormally quiet.

 

“What’s wrong, Xing?” Baekhyun asked as they sat in the dugout together, tired as baseball practice was wrapping up. They were losing in the practice game going on, but for middle schoolers who were just in an after school club for fun, it wasn’t a big deal.

“Nothing,” Yixing replied, looking a little distracted from the scrimmage.

Baekhyun poked out his bottom lip and held out his water bottle to Yixing, who shook his head. He then held out his tupperware full of sliced strawberries his parents always packed for the two to share, which Yixing also refused.

“Are you mad I messed up the pitch?”

“No, I’m not.”

“Are you mad you got out so quick?”

“I don’t get mad about baseball, Baek.”

“Are you mad I drank your soda?” Baekhyun then guessed fearfully. Yixing shook his head. “Are you sure? You spent the rest of your pocket money on that cherry soda, your  _favorite_ , and I just drank it—”

“Do you want me to be mad about that?” Yixing questioned when Baekhyun droned on and on, a wrinkle in his brow. Baekhyun snickered.

“Is it because I haven’t been able to come over?” he then asked. “My mom said that you guys were busy fixing up the house!”

“We were,” Yixing replied, shaking his head. “I told you, nothing’s wrong.”

“Promise?” Baekhyun leaned in with wide, curious eyes, plopping his chin on Yixing’s shoulder as he wrapped his arms around his friend. “You’re not mad at me for calling you a wet poodle, earlier?”

“No, but I should be,” Yixing pouted, making Baekhyun giggle. He always teased Yixing when he got so sweaty that his hair began to curl up from being damp.

“You’re not mad at me for this?” Baekhyun suddenly blew on Yixing’s neck, making the other boy completely lose that tranquil composure he had as he cried out.

“Baekhyun!” Yixing harangued, clutching his neck, but he was finally smiling. “I hate when you do that!”

“Then why are you laughing?” Baekhyun challenged, yelping when Yixing suddenly pinched his side. “No, Xing, that hurts!”

“Then why are you laughing?” Yixing mockingly said, letting go with a grin. At that point the scrimmage must have ended, based on the sound of some of the boys on their team cheering and the rest of the ones on the bench beginning to pack their stuff. Yixing stood up, holding out a hand to help Baekhyun up as well. “Come on, Baekhyun. Let’s go home.”

“It’s too hot to walk right now,” Baekhyun complained, but nonetheless was following after Yixing in the hot summer sun.

They joked and laughed as they walked home as usual, with Yixing’s house being on the way and only a couple blocks away from Baekhyun’s. Baekhyun almost forgot the sullied mood Yixing seemed to be in before, thinking it had completely disappeared; but it hadn’t.

As they rounded the corner and Yixing’s house came into view, Yixing had slipped into that quiet mood he had been in earlier when he stopped laughing at Baekhyun’s antics.

“Hello? Yixing, _hello_ —” Baekhyun finally stopped whining when he saw what Yixing had been looking at. It took him a second to realize what it was, but when he did, it shocked him. He let out a gasp, and before he knew it the pair was running over to Yixing’s front lawn.

Stuck into the ground was a white sign, with the words “For Sale” written boldly on it. Yixing just stared at it, while Baekhyun stared at Yixing.

“You’re...moving?” Baekhyun asked in disbelief. Yixing sighed.

“I guess so. My parents told me last night, how they’ve been planning to.” The two fell silent for a bit, and Baekhyun had a realization.

“This is why you looked all sad at practice?” he asked remorsefully. Yixing nodded. “You lied, you kept telling me nothing was wrong.”

“White lie,” Yixing replied quietly.

“Still.” Baekhyun could only stare at the sign, the thought of not always coming over to this house to play with Yixing not seeming like it could be true. “Where are you going? Farther from school, or will it be about the same?”

Yixing looked at Baekhyun, with wide eyes that soon turned discouraged.

“No, Baek,” he sighed, shaking his head. “My dad finished up his work here. And he and my mom miss home. Which is China.”

“China!?” Baekhyun sputtered, now finally understanding the gravity of the situation. His brain felt like it was short circuiting, as he stood there with his mouth agape. “You’re going back to _China?_ You can’t go there!”

“I don’t think I have a choice,” Yixing relented, tilting his head at Baekhyun. Baekhyun pursed his lips; his friend had a point, he couldn’t really say anything to that. Besides state the obvious.

“But...but that’s so far.”

“I know.” Yixing stared down at the pavement, at his socks and cleats that were stained a clay red from the baseball field. “I really don’t want to go.”

“Well, of course not. This is your home,” Baekhyun replied. “I know you were in China first, but...you were here longer.”

“It’s been about the same number of years,” Yixing said teasingly as he rubbed his nose, trying to lighten the mood. But Baekhyun was absolutely deflated, making his smile fade from his face. “I’m sorry—”

“Don’t apologize,” Baekhyun interrupted, shaking his head. “What’re you sorry, for? You’re the one who has to start over, again. Everyone, the whole _world_ , should be apologizing to you.”

“It’s because you’ll be crying for, well, forever once I’m gone,” Yixing snickered, and this finally got Baekhyun to break.

“Says the biggest crybaby on Earth!” he shot back, giving Yixing a small push. The two boys were finally able to smile and laugh a little, despite how the thought of Yixing moving hung over their heads and made it feel like the end of the world.

Baekhyun had been so used to Yixing's presence as his friend for so long, that he never truly realized how much he needed him until he was faced with the reality that he was leaving. He felt his stomach doing flips, scared of even imagining it; Yixing, someone he loved, not being able to see him anymore.

“It’ll be fine, right?” Yixing finally asked in a small voice when the two were quite for too long. “I did it once, I can do it again.”

“...Yeah,” Baekhyun responded, nodding a little. “I’m jealous, you know. Of the kids in China who get to have you around. Who will I bother, from now on?”

“You’re hilarious,” Yixing chuckled, his smile as placid as ever. “Don’t worry, Baek. We have till the end of summer.” This got Baekhyun to feel just a bit better, even though his previous statement still stood.

“Yeah, the house wasn’t sold yet. You’ll be here for a little bit longer, we can win the rest of our games!”

“I’ll be content with just playing them,” Yixing laughed, holding out his arms when Baekhyun pouted. Like clockwork Baekhyun leaned in, fitting right into his companion’s small frame. “With you.”

“Okay.” Baekhyun kicked at the ground aimlessly when they pulled apart, realizing that he should probably be cherishing the little time he had left with his best friend in town. “Do you think your mom will let you come over, if we asked?”

Yixing nodded, still smiling, and remembering how sullen he had looked at practice, Baekhyun decided that it was his job to make that smile last at least for however long until Yixing moved away. He always thought that he was the hardier one of the two growing up, but he’d always look back and grow amused at how the day before Yixing left, it was impossible to tell which one of them was crying harder.

* * *

 

“Baek, get your ass over here!”

Baekhyun grinned as he immediately heard his friend calling him when he walked in, making his way through the hordes of other students to join him across the room.

“Late, as always,” Jongdae commented, mockingly shaking his head. “So many people left, I barely recognize anyone here anymore.” Baekhyun let out a hearty laugh, reaching over to the counter to grab a beer.

“I have an excuse tonight, my paper was due,” he sighed, ignoring how Jongdae went on to lecture how that meant he should start his work earlier. “You’re the only person who cares so much about being on time, Jongdae.”

“It’s already almost twelve,” Jongdae countered, making Baekhyun snicker. He rolled his eyes before he threw an arm around his friend. “Come on, I saw Sooyoung over there.”

It was Baekhyun’s second year of college and aside from schoolwork, he was carefree as could be. He was lucky enough to have a roommate his first year that he got along extremely well with; he and Jongdae ended up rooming together again out of choice this year, and did nearly everything together. Partying was no exception.

 

“I don’t know, if it was me I would’ve just asked him to stay,” Baekhyun replied as Sooyoung went on and on about the guy she liked leaving her with his creepy roommate. “Especially if his roommate is that bad.”

“I didn’t know how to quite articulate that,” she sighed, propping her elbow on Baekhyun’s shoulder. “If only more guys were like you.”

“As in gay?” Baekhyun asked jokingly, making her roll her eyes. “Cheer up.”

“Yeah, yeah. Any luck on your end?” Sooyoung asked, sipping her drink. “No special guys in your life, yet?”

“Nope, nothing in that department. Especially after the enormous waste of time named Wu Yifan,” Baekhyun shrugged, giving a cocky grin. “I don’t think anyone can quite handle me, anyway.”

“He’s right about that,” Jongdae snickered from beside them. “I know I wouldn’t be able to handle someone who cries at nature documentaries and keeps me up at three in the morning screaming while he games.” Baekhyun just blew a raspberry as Sooyoung giggled. At that point it got even louder inside the house, with Chanyeol enthusiastically playing beer pong and leading a bunch of cheering anytime something happened. Baekhyun almost already wanted to go home, but Jongdae probably wouldn’t let him.

Soon after that Sehun came over, face red and smiling a little too much.

“Hey, all,” he slurred, sliding into the seat next to Baekhyun. “Say, Baek, when’s your friend visiting again?”

“You mean Kyungsoo?” Baekhyun asked, grinning. “He’s back at Busan, studying hard. Last time he said that this isn’t really his scene anyway, so I don’t think he’ll be coming up again soon.”

“Aw, I liked him,” Sehun said, pouting. “I thought he was cute.”

“He knows, from the way you were coming onto him,” Baekhyun replied with a snort. “Maybe I’ll put in a good word for you, sometime.”

“No need, long distance isn’t my thing,” Sehun sighed, before he gave a small smirk. “But did you see the dude that Minseok brought with him, tonight? Like...damn.”

“Who is he?” Baekhyun asked curiously, tilting his head. “Is he the guy who asked Minseok out?”

“Nah, but he's a friend of both, apparently. Maybe you should go meet him, he seemed like your type,” Sehun egged on. Baekhyun was a bit unwilling, but Jongdae was suddenly getting out of his seat, his attention quickly piqued.

“Come on, Baek,” Jongdae said, pulling Baekhyun up by the arm. “I was getting bored anyway, let’s at least say hi to Minseok.”

“You just want to play matchmaker.” Baekhyun eventually but reluctantly followed along as they went looking for Minseok, who was on the other side of the house. He was very engaged in a conversation he was having with someone on the couch, and Baekhyun could only assume it was the person Sehun was talking about.

“Minseok,” Jongdae called as they approached. Minseok looked up, waving when he saw his friends.

“Hey, I didn’t know you guys were here!” he said, getting up. The person he was sitting with stood up as well, and Baekhyun felt his eyebrows raise.

He had dark hair, and a gentle face that was, as Sehun promised, very handsome. He was a bit tall, at least taller than Baekhyun and his friends were. But his attractiveness wasn’t the thing that had Baekhyun doing a double take—or at least, it wasn’t the only thing.

“This is my friend, Yixing,” Minseok introduced, and Yixing smiled. Making a dimple appear on one of his cheeks.

_Yixing?_

Baekhyun had already been thinking that name in his head, even before Minseok announced it. And it was the sight of that dimple that really told him that he hadn’t imagined things.

“Wait,” Baekhyun cut in before anyone else could speak. He raised a finger to point at Yixing, eyes wide. “Zhang Yixing?”

“...Baekhyun?” Yixing gaped back, having been staring at Baekhyun as well; he must have begun to recognize him, too. “Baek, is that really you?”

“Oh my god!” Baekhyun exclaimed, going up to Yixing with the widest smile on his face. “Holy shit, I can’t believe it! I haven’t seen you since we were kids!”

Minseok and Jongdae just stared in bewilderment at the pair, then at each other, shrugging as if to tell one another that they should just let things happen despite having no idea what was going on.

Yixing and Baekhyun were noticeably excited, naturally going off about how crazy it was to be seeing each other again. They then paused to really look at and study each other, seeming to sprout shy smiles on their faces before they hugged for a brief second.

“You go here?” Baekhyun asked when they separated, flushed from how unexpected this all was. Yixing nodded, still wide-eyed.

“Yeah, I’ve been going for more than a year, now,” he answered. “Same with you?”

“Yes! We’ve been attending the same university and didn’t even know it,” Baekhyun said in awe. ”You came back here from China? God, this is still so unbelievable!”

It was then that the two suddenly remembered Minseok and Jongdae, and they turned around sheepishly.

“We were friends back when we were kids,” Baekhyun explained, with Yixing nodding beside him. “Until Yixing moved away in middle school and ditched me.”

“Hey, that’s not fair,” Yixing laughed, and the two were giggling at each other all over again.

“Wow,” Minseok said in surprise, eyebrows raised. Jongdae looks more or less the same before the two seemed to share another look, a bit more dubious in appearance. “I’m guessing you guys probably want to catch up, don’t you.”

“Oh, that’s alright,” Yixing said shyly, but it was written all over his and Baekhyun’s faces without them realizing it. Jongdae just chuckled, motioning for them to go ahead.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be around here,” he reassured. He shot Baekhyun a smirk, to which Baekhyun immediately shook his head. “Don’t let us intrude.”

Baekhyun sighed as the two scurried away, before giving a smile at Yixing.

“Sorry, those two are just weirdos. Do you want to go somewhere quieter?” he asked, and he already knew Yixing was going to nod eagerly.

The two made their way to the patio, where they took small sips of beer as they caught each other up on everything they’ve been doing up until this point.

“I almost didn’t recognize you,” Baekhyun said, Yixing leaning on the railing and looking at him intently. “I mean, your face is almost exactly the same, yet you’ve grown up so much that I had a hard time figuring it out...and wow, you’re taller than me, now.”

“Looks like I’ve been taller than you for a while,” Yixing chuckled, raising a hand and pressing it down playfully on the top of Baekhyun’s head. Baekhyun wrinkled his nose in pretend annoyance, before the two broke out into a small laugh. “The second I saw you I knew you looked familiar. But same, I couldn’t believe that it could be you after all this time.”

He snickered a bit. “You look really good, you know.”

Baekhyun blushed, feeling lighthearted for whatever reason to know that Yixing thought so. Yixing had definitely grown up amazingly; without his baby fat he looked so chiseled and mature, with that naturally calm expression on his face that was sort of mysterious now instead of clueless like it was before. But there was no mystery, Baekhyun knew. Yixing was still the sweet Yixing he knew.

“Are you saying I didn’t look good before? May I remind you that everyone was after me in the third grade,” Baekhyun challenged, tilting his head. “But thanks. You’re not so bad, yourself. Especially without that squeaky ass voice you used to have.”

“Hey,” Yixing laughed, clutching at his chest in mock pain. “You used to always tell me my voice was cute.”

“I said your _accent_ was cute,” Baekhyun elaborated, grinning. Yixing’s accent was still present, but it was much less prominent than before, with his sentences being much more fluid and enunciated. “But your Korean’s gotten much better. You’ve been practicing even after you moved?”

“Yeah, in case I ever came here again. And I did.” Yixing smirked at Baekhyun. “Are you still the same old Baekhyun? Loud, adventurous, outspoken? You must be. The tone of your voice when you talk, I can tell it’s the same as when we were kids.”

“According to Kyungsoo the old Baekhyun was just _annoying_ , and I haven’t changed at all, so yeah,” Baekhyun replied, returning Yixing’s cheeky smile. “And you? Are you still a crybaby I need to protect?”

“Nope,” Yixing said, puffing out his cheeks. “That’s one thing that’s changed. I’m not some helpless kid that can be pushed around anymore, you know. Not even by you, Byun Baekhyun.”

“You’ll let me, as always,” Baekhyun mused as he nudged Yixing’s shoulder with his own, and the two glance at each other once more. Baekhyun subtly licked his lips, not even feeling the cold somehow when he was under Yixing’s stare like this. “I missed you, Yixing.”

“I missed you too, Baek.” Yixing slid a hand up Baekhyun’s arm, and it sent chills up the Baekhyun's spine. “I always thought about you, now and then.”

“Me too,” Baekhyun whispered. “I wish we kept in touch…”

“Yeah. But this was such a nice surprise, to see you like this,” Yixing replied. “I’m really glad we got to see each other again, somehow. My childhood best friend.”

Yixing’s hand somehow found its way to Baekhyun’s hip, and it was then that it was clear to him: he was into Yixing. _Yixing,_ the kid he always played with at school and ate lunch together with. The kid he used to be inseparable from, who was by his side as Baekhyun had done a lot of early growing up.

And unless he was crazy, then Yixing might be feeling something similar with the way he was looking at Baekhyun with such a fixed gaze, the look in his eyes tender and seeming to see nothing but Baekhyun in them. Baekhyun felt like he could get lost in that stare, in those eyes, and wondered just what was wrong with him.

He found himself at a loss for words, his face only several inches away from the other man’s, until he finally tore his eyes off of Yixing’s lips to clear his throat.

“U-um, so,” Baekhyun piped up, visibly out of sorts. The two inched apart just a little, the heat of the moment washing away as quickly as it had developed. “What are you studying? Why’d you come here?”

“I decided to study engineering, but a lot of that was my parents talking,” Yixing responded, scratching his head. “I might pick up a minor in Korean, just to try and perfect it. As for coming here, I don’t know, I just applied to some schools in Korea in case I didn’t get into my first picks in China. I ended up getting into everything, but when I visited here I really loved the campus.”

“Yeah, that happened to me too,” Baekhyun agreed. “You sure must enjoy moving back and forth between countries, you even did it willingly this time. Are you sure you were even sad, back in middle school?”

“Oh god yeah, I cried for days when I first moved back to China,” Yixing laughed. “Speaking of then, do you still play baseball?” Baekhyun could only shake his head.

“Nope. Left my glory days behind when I entered high school,” Baekhyun giggled, making a pitching motion with his hands. “You?”

“I played in high school, but can’t say I do anymore,” Yixing answered, amused at Baekhyun’s silly miming. “I still have that thing, though.”

“What thing—” Baekhyun turned pink upon realizing what Yixing meant. “You do?”

“Yeah. I brought it with me in fact, it’s at my dorm,” Yixing laughed. “Do you want to...come over and get it back?”

Baekhyun felt his stomach turn, not because being around Yixing was strange or made him uncomfortable, but because of the mischievous smile the other student was giving him that was making his heart flutter involuntarily. But nonetheless he reciprocated it, nodding.

“You weirdo, bringing something like that here.”

He let Jongdae know that he was going to Yixing’s place, shoving his friend a little in annoyance when Jongdae made an obscene gesture with his fingers. Luckily Yixing didn’t seem to catch that, too occupied letting his own friends know that he was leaving the party early.

Baekhyun and Yixing talked non-stop the whole way to Yixing’s dorm room, still having so many things to catch up on and so many stories to tell. They even shared commonalities in the new interests they picked up since separating, from music to movies to other hobbies.

“So you’re still friends with Kyungsoo? I’ve missed him too, I should visit next time you go home,” Yixing said in amazement as he unlocked his door, letting Baekhyun in.

“Not nearly as much as you missed me though, right?” Baekhyun joked, but Yixing still nodded lightheartedly.

“Of course.”

Baekhyun looked around Yixing’s dorm that was, as expected, very neat and organized. At least one side was; Baekhyun already knew that side belonged to Yixing. It was late at night so Yixing only turned on his bedside lamp, providing a dim light in the room.

“Your roommate isn’t home?” he asked, cocking his head to the side when Yixing threw some clothes over to the messy half.

“Nope, and he won’t be home. He’s aiming high with Minseok tonight,” Yixing snickered, and Baekhyun could only wonder about the identity of this mystery person that Minseok hadn’t even divulged to him yet. “Let’s see…”

Yixing dug around in a storage case he had stashed under his bed that was full of books, supplies, and other items that Baekhyun couldn’t identify. He sat down on the chair at Yixing’s desk, listening to his friend rattle around until it seemed he hit jackpot.

“Ah, here!” Yixing stood up, a reminiscent smile on his face as he held something up. Baekhyun’s eyes widened when he saw Yixing really hadn’t been kidding.

“You really still have that,” he said in surprise, getting up to take a look at the object from Yixing’s hands. It was Baekhyun’s favorite baseball, that had his name stitched on it. It wasn’t too dirty since he took the liberty to wash it before he gifted it to Yixing, but there were still dark grey scuffs that would never quite go away.

“Of course I do. It was your most prized possession, yet you gave it to me to remember you by.” Yixing beamed, closing Baekhyun’s delicate hands around the baseball. “Never thought I’d be able to return it to you.”

“Are you so sure? You brought it with you all the way here to Korea,” Baekhyun retorted.

“Well, that’s just because it’s important to me. I packed it on a whim.” Yixing’s warm hands were still encasing Baekhyun’s, and the two were once again out of words as they looked up at each other.

“You actually haven’t changed at all,” Baekhyun concluded, directing his smile down shyly. “Pinning so much importance on these stupid little things.”

“I’m hurt that you call them stupid,” Yixing said back, before gently tipping Baekhyun’s chin up. “We’ve been reunited for what, a couple hours, and you’re already being a big bully.”

“I’m the only one who’s allowed to bully you, remember? I’ll hurt anyone else who tries,” Baekhyun teased, ignoring the fact that his heart felt like it was lodged in his throat at the sight of Yixing’s features this close up. The soft lighting doing just enough to illuminate that infectious smile and the deep pools in his eyes. He felt his lips press together, wondering how the night had taken such an unexpected turn.

“I, uh,” he finally breathed, breaking the stuffy atmosphere again before it became unbearable. Unsure of where to look and hoping the rosiness of his cheeks wasn’t visible, he averted his gaze to shift around the room. “Guess I should be heading back to my place. Jongdae will worry.”

“Ah, okay,” Yixing said, nodding along and sticking his hands in his pockets. “It is pretty late.” He was about to open the door for Baekhyun, when the latter suddenly leaned in for a hug.

“I’m glad to see you,” Baekhyun murmured into Yixing’s chest. Raising his eyebrows, Yixing quickly adapted and wrapped his arms around Baekhyun, nuzzling his nose into sandy brown locks.

Baekhyun couldn’t believe how that tiny kid who couldn’t choke out a sentence in front of the kindergarten classroom had grown up to be someone who could feel so strong, someone who could make him feel indescribably secure in those arms of his. Holding him gave off the same sense of comfort as it used to, but there was a heat that wasn’t there before.

When they made the move to separate they accidentally got so close that their cheeks brushed against each other, both halting when their noses were nearly touching; it caused them to share a second of heated eye contact before everything seamlessly fell into place. It happened so naturally, yet Baekhyun’s breath was still taken away when he and Yixing mutually pressed their lips against one another’s.

Yixing reached down to link his hands around the small of Baekhyun’s back while Baekhyun let his arms rest on Yixing’s shoulders to intertwine his fingers together. So absorbed in the kiss he dropped the baseball by accident when he did so, allowing it to fall to the floor with a small thud.

The sound made the two break away, but only for a fraction of a second before they shared a smile and connected their lips once more. Their lips softly meeting and pulling apart served as the only noises enacting in the comfortable silence, and for Baekhyun the feeling of this push and pull was nothing short of ecstasy.

He ended the kissing with a small, playful tug of Yixing’s plump lower lip with his teeth, grinning a little when a low chuckle left Yixing’s mouth.

“That’s not something we did as kids,” he joked, making Yixing titter as he buried his face in Baekhyun’s shoulder. “Hey, are you shy?”

“Maybe. I guess I’ve learned a thing or two on how to make a move since then,” Yixing murmured into Baekhyun’s collar. “I’ve wanted to do that for a while.”

“Yeah? Since we saw each other for the first time, tonight?” Baekhyun asked, and Yixing finally lifted his head up.

“You have no idea,” he said softly, caressing Baekhyun’s cheek and allowing his thumb to gently brush against Baekhyun's soft, pink lips. “You wanna just sleep here, tonight?”

“Yeah,” Baekhyun said with a grin. As he pulled out his phone to text Jongdae that he was going to stay over at Yixing’s place, internally sighing because he knew Jongdae would take it the wrong way no matter what, Yixing bent down to pick up the baseball again.

“I believe you just dropped this,” he joked, flourishing as he handed it back. “Geez, I know you’re heartless but don’t go throwing out something I treasured for so long right in front of me.”

Baekhyun laughed, smacking Yixing on the shoulder before setting his keys, phone, and the ball on the desk.

“I was distracted, there was something so much more demanding of my attention going on at the time,” he purred. He couldn’t say he didn’t feel a little floored as Yixing pulled off his shirt to change, wondering how long and how much he must work out for his torso to be so toned. He was so distracted that the shirt Yixing tossed at him to borrow hit him right in the face.

“Looks like you’re still a bit distracted,” Yixing chittered. When Baekhyun had pulled on Yixing’s shirt and stripped off his jeans, he enthusiastically climbed into Yixing’s bed where Yixing was holding up the covers, waiting for him.

The two were as giddy and bubbly as they had been as children, with Baekhyun snuggling up against Yixing with a permanent smile stuck on his face. Yixing rested his chin on top of Baekhyun’s head after pressing a kiss on it, and Baekhyun thought he had never felt this warm.

They talked a bit more, until they both began to yawn and get sleepy.

“Night, Xing,” Baekhyun cooed drowsily, and Yixing squeezed him just a little tighter.

“Goodnight, Baek.”

* * *

 

“Someone got head last night,” Jongdae announced when Baekhyun opened the door to their room the next day, looking up pointedly from his computer. He quirked up an eyebrow at the absolutely mystified look on Baekhyun’s face as he waltzed in. “Was it _that_ good? You look like you’re glowing.”

“We didn’t do anything like that,” Baekhyun dismissed, rolling his eyes as he flopped down onto his bed. He was still absolutely ecstatic from the events of last night, his mind flashing to the breathtaking kiss Yixing had given him when Baekhyun finally left his dorm room earlier today. “I just stayed the night.”

“If you say so,” Jongdae snorted, obviously not convinced. He seemed to get fed up with the work he was doing and sighed, tousling his hair. “Do you want to grab dinner later?”

“Can’t,” Baekhyun sang with a shit-eating grin, already messaging Yixing on his phone. Jongdae just stared at him incredulously. “I have a date.”

 

Yixing made everything easy. The two had so much to talk about, even after they were done catching each other up on all the events that had gone on in the past eight, nine years they’d been absent from each other’s lives. They had the compatibility and enthusiasm to be around each other of two inseparable friends, unsurprisingly; the romantic feelings that had sprouted only served to strengthen that.

Their dynamics were more or less the same, with Baekhyun being the scrappier, more excitable of the two, while Yixing balanced him out with his more mellow demeanor. Baekhyun was loud, exaggerated, absolutely bubbly; Yixing was level-headed, a bit spacey, the perfect listener.

A couple weeks went by and the two already caught up on everything about what made each other tick, learned their schedules and interests, and had countless photos together. Baekhyun had always, if he was to date, wanted someone who could shower him with all the affection he wanted but who would also exude the comfort of a best friend.

And with Yixing, he was already with his best friend.

“It’s kind of crazy,” Yixing said as they walked side by side on their way to classes, holding out his cup of ice cream to let Baekhyun steal out of it as he pleased, “it kind of feels like we never had that gap where we lost touch.”

“Yeah...and you’d think that things might be different, since we were just kids and all,” Baekhyun reasoned. “But they’re not, really. Aside from the fact that you’re hot now and people are right when they say we’re probably gay for each other.”

“Yeah, I suppose there’s that,” Yixing chuckled. “I liked you all the way back then too, though.”

“What? Pft,” Baekhyun prattled, making Yixing roll his eyes. He jerked Baekhyun’s arm as he raised a spoonful of ice cream to his mouth, making him get it all over his nose. “Yixing!”

“You deserved it,” Yixing laughed, handing his friend—boyfriend—a napkin. “I mean it, you know. I think I can prove it.”

“Sounds pretty fake,” Baekhyun teased, and Yixing could only sigh. They reached Baekhyun’s lecture hall, with Baekhyun accepting the peck on the forehead Yixing gave to him. “I have to say you’re much more fun than stats, but I should go. I’ll see you tonight.”

“See you.” Yixing gave a cute little wave, before heading off to his own class.

Baekhyun could hardly stay focused on what he was supposed to be learning anyway, not with Yixing’s pure smile being the one thing on his mind.

 

They spent that night watching movies on Yixing’s laptop while laying across his bed, their legs tangled together and their eyes probably glancing more at one another than at the screen.

“Can’t keep your eyes off me?” Yixing mused after catching Baekhyun’s gaze, making Baekhyun grow huffy.

“This movie’s just too scary,” he whined, rolling over and making Yixing mockingly wheeze from the sudden weight on him. “Shut up, I’m not that heavy and you’re not that weak.”

“And I thought you were the fearless one between us,” Yixing relented, closing his laptop and getting up to set it on his desk.

Baekhyun followed after, hugging Yixing from behind and leaning his cheek on his boyfriend’s strong back. Yixing let out a small laugh, turning to look over his shoulder. “Excuse me, can I help you?”

“Depends. Is Lu Han going to come anytime soon?” Baekhyun whispered provocatively. The amused look was wiped automatically off of Yixing’s face, being replaced with a more coy one.

“That he is not,” he hinted, turning around and enveloping Baekhyun in a heated kiss that was very much invited.

They hadn’t gone further than necking yet, but they had confirmed with each other that they were ready to whenever the opportunity may arise. Yixing binded his arms around Baekhyun, opening his mouth and dipping his tongue past Baekhyun's lips, making him release the tiniest of moans.

With their tongues intermingling needily and Baekhyun’s arms wrapped around Yixing’s neck, the two continued to make out passionately, taking their time. Yixing lifted Baekhyun up by his thighs so Baekhyun’s legs were wrapped around his waist, leaving little to no space in between their fronts. The mood alone was enough to make each other moan into each other’s mouths.

“I want you so bad, Baek,” Yixing said in a low tone, moving his hands to grab onto Baekhyun’s ass, pressing their hips together.

Baekhyun didn’t know what came over him in that moment, but he suddenly laughed right at Yixing’s face. Not a gentle, alluring laugh that matched the atmosphere, no, he straight-out _cracked up_.

Yixing broke apart from the kiss with his eyes wide and questioning, and Baekhyun immediately pursed his lips.

“S-sorry,” he sputtered, and Yixing had put him down so he was standing on his own feet again. He felt his face heating up. “Sorry, I made that awkward.”

“That’s alright.” Yixing smiled reassuringly, pulling Baekhyun in close once more and connecting their lips in another open-mouthed kiss. He licked hungrily around every corner in Baekhyun’s mouth, and Baekhyun was ready to forget that little mishap when Yixing grabbed at his ass again with one hand, sliding the other up his shirt.

Again, Baekhyun broke the kiss to let out a lighthearted bout of laughter. Yixing immediately stopped what he was doing again, only he looked much more worried, now.

“Is something wrong?” Yixing asked, puzzled. Baekhyun was embarrassed, shaking his head, but it wasn’t convincing. “Or...is something funny?”

“No, really, no,” he replied, unable to understand what was making him be so weird. “Sorry, it’s just...I think it’s because I started thinking about how funny it is, you know, I’m doing these things with my childhood friend. Not that I’m imagining you’re still a child, now that’s weird—”

“Ah, right,” Yixing said with a sheepish smile. “We don’t have to do this now, if it’s weird—”

“No, wait,” Baekhyun sighed, placing a hand on Yixing’s nape to console him and keep him close. “I’m making jokes at the wrong time. It’s like, you’re _Yixing_ , the kid who I accidentally made cry in kindergarten, who I filled out coloring books and jumped rope with, all the time. This transition we made was so effortless, but now that we’re doing this I guess the old memories caught up with me.”

Baekhyun smiled hopefully. “I’m sorry, don’t be self-conscious. I’m just...happy, that I’m with you. Someone I know for a fact that I care about—for a very long time, in fact.”

“You sure?” Yixing asked cautiously, and Baekhyun felt guilty yet found it a bit precious, how shy he had made Yixing just for laughing whenever Yixing began to touch him.

“Positive. Hell, I might’ve already fallen in love with you, but that’s something we can discuss another time,” Baekhyun promised with a impish smile, drawing Yixing in to kiss him once more.

The moment he opened his mouth a little Yixing let out a tiny scoff, making Baekhyun pull away, wide-eyed.

“ _Y_ _ixing!_ ” he screeched indignantly, and Yixing burst out laughing, pulling Baekhyun down to fall on top of him on the bed.

“ _Kidding_ ,” he said brightly, rolling over so he could hoist himself above Baekhyun. His smile returned, genuine and sweet, with only a hint of the suggestiveness from before laced in it. “I feel the same way about you, Baek. But I feel like you must know that.”

"I do," Baekhyun sang back, making Yixing give a sigh that was full of endearment.

They kissed once more, a long, chaste kiss this time, but just as overwhelming as they both closed their eyes and melted into it.

“Ready, now?” Yixing asked affectionately, carding his fingers through Baekhyun’s tan locks of hair. Baekhyun nodded with nothing but honesty and tenderness in his eyes.

“Definitely.”

* * *

 

“Mail for you,” Baekhyun called as he walked in, tossing a few regular envelopes as well as a care package from Yixing’s parents onto his desk. Yixing looked up from his studying, face automatically lighting up to see his boyfriend.

“Thanks,” he said gratefully, with Baekhyun immediately sitting on his thigh intrusively with a wily smile on his face that made Yixing chuckle.

“Do you want something from me?” Yixing asked, Baekhyun just looked on innocently as he settled on his lap.

“Your attention,” he answered cheekily, making Yixing roll his eyes.

“You always have that.”

They had been dating a while now, and were just as crazy about each other as they had been in the beginning. It was solid, and Baekhyun had a strong feeling that he was in it for the long run. Not that he was opposed; he could say with honesty that being with Yixing was one of the best things to happen to him. There were never questions and barely any hurdles, and Baekhyun knew that as long as both he and Yixing were having fun together, that things were normal. Being together was something that didn't require much thought; they just were.

When Baekhyun finally stood up again after a few idle exchanges of _how was your day_ and _what do you want to do later_ , Yixing pulled out some scissors and began tearing open the box.

“What did your parents send you?” Baekhyun asked, watching as Yixing opened up the care package.

“Probably just snacks and vitamins,” the taller shrugged, before looking up at Baekhyun with an ambiguous grin on his face. “And something I asked them to find for me.”

“What would that be?” Baekhyun questioned, but soon enough Yixing pulled something out: a single, folded sheet of paper.

He remained oblivious as Yixing opened it up, before his eyes widened when he processed it. It was a picture, a hand-drawn picture that must have been made by a child. It was the one Yixing drew, of him and Baekhyun, from that assignment to draw what he wanted to do when he grew up.

“Hey, this is from when we were kids, right?” Baekhyun recalled, suddenly hit with a wave of nostalgia as he saw his name written in Yixing’s squiggly handwriting—but nostalgia was typical whenever he was around Yixing. “You really do keep all of that useless stuff.”

Baekhyun somehow remembered it well as he looked at the picture, how he asked Yixing if he wanted to play with him even when he grew up, and Yixing nodding with utmost certainty. The memory definitely lifted up his mood, and made his heart feel even lighter.

“I told you I’d prove that I liked you all the way back then,” Yixing propositioned, making Baekhyun raise an eyebrow in amusement. “Remember you told me I used the wrong word, here?”

He tapped on the page, where five year-old Yixing had crossed out a word he had jotted down in Korean, replacing it with neater, more confidently written Chinese characters.

“Didn’t you?” Baekhyun asked, laughing. “You wrote _—”_

“Exactly.” Yixing smiled more, and Baekhyun could only stare at him, cheeks flushing. “That’s what I wanted to say in the first place! These characters here—they read, _married_.”

“Really?” Baekhyun was somewhat impressed, staring from the drawing to Yixing, over and over again. It was both funny and sweet to him, his heart growing heavy. “Oh, my...I had no idea.”

He shot a cheeky little grin at Yixing. “Even five year-old you had game, huh.”

“And you totally brushed me off,” Yixing laughed, pulling Baekhyun in and holding him securely in his arms. The two giggled a little, carrying out some playful banter and murmuring sweet nothings to each other about the somehow enchanting situation. “You believe me, now?”

“Yeah, yeah, you were totally enamoured with me, I get it.” Baekhyun looked up, lifting himself up on his tiptoes to kiss Yixing on the tip of his nose. “I love you.”  _So much._

“Love you, too,” Yixing chuckled, before he kissed the corner Baekhyun’s smile. “Even if you said it about a million years late.”

“Hey, you won me over eventually,” Baekhyun teased. _And I couldn't be happier._

Yixing nodded, the rewarding satisfaction he felt since beginning this relationship with Baekhyun evident in his eyes.

“It was worth the wait.”

 

Baekhyun was five when he saw Yixing for the first time, and at that age he wouldn’t say it was anything groundbreaking, or even something he thought he’d remember well.

Yet here he was all these years later, mapping out every inch of Yixing and every instance the two had ever shared, cherishing it all. Perhaps some things did change—but he now knew that the adoration Yixing felt now had pretty much been there since the beginning, and perhaps Baekhyun had unknowingly felt it then, as well. Which, at least in Baekhyun’s opinion, made their ties all the more unbreakable.


End file.
